Young Horseback Riders Triumph At Special Winning Attitude Event

CELEBRATIONS - GOOD CAUSES

The little heroes rode tall on horseback during a recent Sunday afternoon filled with fun at the Glades Edge Farm in Davie.

``I call him my little superman because nothing can stop him,'' Elizabeth Valdez, of Miami, said about son Ray, as he rode a quarter horse.

Ray, 9, who said he refuses to ``act handicapped'' even though he is missing his right leg, thoroughly enjoyed the picnic and horse riding event geared for children who are missing limbs.

``I ride my bike, swim and do everything else I used to do before I got sick,'' Ray said, referring to a bout with meningitis in 1995 that forced doctors to amputate his leg.

Another horse rider, 7-year-old Carlo Toussaint, of Miami, was born with a deformity of both arms. But he is a champion to his brothers, James, 5, and Gabriel, 11.

``Carlo inspires me,'' Gabriel said. ``He makes me brave.''

Ortho Pro Associates, a prosthetic supplier based in Plantation, sponsored the second annual Special Winning Attitude Team event to provide ``a mentally and physically therapeutic experience,'' prosthetist Terri Bukacheski said.

Those participating in the event were missing limbs either because of trauma, illness or congenital birth defects, she said.

``These kids need to know they are not alone and that they can do anything else other children do,'' Bukacheski said. ``The children's families get to know each other and the kids get to run. Horseback riding is a great medium because the children's bodies are relaxed and free.''

Glades Edge Farm owner Miriam Herstik and friend Nicole Berger are partners in Children's Therapy Services, a weekend business at the farm that provides horseback riding for children with disabilities. Herstik and Berger are both trained physical therapists.

``Riding horses gives the children self-esteem and empowerment,'' Berger said.

David Lindsey, a Hollywood paralympian who was first-place winner in the 1996 Ironman triathlon in Hawaii, attended the picnic to give the youngsters a boost of confidence.

Lindsey, a former firefighter and paramedic who lost his legs in a speedboat accident three years ago, said the children can look at his accomplishments as a competitive athlete and know ``they are not really disabled, just challenged.''

``I want to give the kids strength to believe in themselves,'' Lindsey said. ``The world isn't equal or just, but it is a world where opportunity abounds for everyone to stand up and be counted.''